Quotes → YouTube Shorts v1 – Fully Automated Quote-to-Shorts Video System (Make.com

Turn your quote library into a nonstop stream of YouTube Shorts with this Quotes → YouTube Shorts v1 automation, built in Make.com.

This ready-to-use workflow takes a quote from Google Sheets, converts it into high-quality voiceover audio using ElevenLabs, sends that audio into JSON2Video to generate a vertical 1080×1920 video based on your template, and then automatically uploads the final video directly to your YouTube channel. The system also updates your Google Sheet so you always know which quote has already been turned into a Short. 

If you want to mass-produce YouTube Shorts from Stoic quotes, motivational lines, affirmations, or text snippets without editing anything manually, this workflow is built exactly for that.

What This Automation Does (High-Level)

• Reads the next “Not Posted” quote from your Google Sheets.
• Generates a natural-sounding voiceover using ElevenLabs Text-to-Speech.
• Stores the audio in Dropbox and generates a share link.
• Sends the audio + your video template to JSON2Video to create a full YouTube Short.
• Waits for rendering, fetches the final video file, and uploads it to YouTube.
• Optionally posts to Instagram Reels (module already wired, just enable and connect).
• Updates the quote’s status in Google Sheets from “Not Posted” to “Posted”.

All of this runs inside Make.com with one click or on a schedule.

Step-by-Step – How the Workflow Runs

1. Fetch the Next Quote from Google Sheets

The workflow starts with a Google Sheets – Filter Rows module that:

• Connects to your Google account.
• Looks at your “Quotes to YT Shorts” spreadsheet.
• Filters rows where the Status (Column D) = “Not Posted”.
• Retrieves only 1 row at a time (the next quote to post).
• Pulls:
  
• Index (Column A)
• Title (Column B)
• Quote text (Column C)
• Status (Column D)  

This ensures you never double-post the same quote.

2. Mark Quote as Posted in Google Sheets

Once a quote is selected, the workflow uses Google Sheets – Update Row:

• Targets the same spreadsheet and sheet.
• Uses the row number from the first step.
• Sets Status = “Posted”.
• Keeps your content pipeline clean and trackable.

You can run this scenario manually, via schedule, or using a webhook trigger to post one Short per run.

3. Generate Voiceover Audio with ElevenLabs

Next, the ElevenLabs – Text-to-Speech module:

• Takes the Quote text from Google Sheets.
• Uses the eleven_multilingual_v2 TTS model.
• Uses your configured voice_id (for a cloned or default voice).
• Outputs:
  
• Audio data (buffer)
• File name

This creates a professional, human-like voiceover for your quote.

4. Store Audio in Dropbox & Generate Public Link

Two Dropbox modules handle audio storage:

1. Dropbox – Upload Large File
   
• Uploads the generated audio file into a folder like /Quotes to YT Shorts.
• Uses the filename from ElevenLabs.
• Keeps your audio assets organized.
3. Dropbox – Create Share Link
   
• Generates a public link to the audio file.
• This link is used later by JSON2Video to pull the audio into the video template.

This gives you both backup and a reliable delivery path for the audio.

5. Create the Video with JSON2Video API

Now the workflow calls the JSON2Video API using the HTTP module in Make.com:

• Endpoint: https://api.json2video.com/v2/movies
• Method: POST
• Authentication: API Key (stored in Make keychain)
• Payload includes:
  
• Movie ID, comment, resolution and quality.
• One Scene with:
  
• A base template video (e.g., a motion background or template MP4).
• A subtitles layer with font, style, and position.
• An audio element that uses the Dropbox share link as src ({{7.downloadUrl}}).  

JSON2Video then:

• Combines your video template + voiceover.
• Bakes in subtitles (configurable in the payload).
• Renders a vertical video (1080×1920) perfect for YouTube Shorts.

6. Wait for Rendering & Poll Movie Status

Because video rendering takes time, the workflow:

• Uses Function – Sleep to wait ~90 seconds.
• Then calls JSON2Video again with GET:
  
• Endpoint: https://api.json2video.com/v2/movies
• Query string includes project={{9.data.project}} to fetch the movie status.
• Once ready, the response includes the final movie URL.

7. Download Final Video File

Using HTTP – Get File, the workflow:

• Downloads the final video via {{11.data.movie.url}}.
• Outputs the video as binary data (data) and a filename.

Now you have a fully rendered Short ready for publishing.

8. Post Directly to YouTube (YouTube Data API)

A router splits the flow, and one branch is:

• YouTube – Upload Video
  
• Uses your YouTube connection.
• Uploads the video data from the previous step.
• Sets:
  
• Title: from Google Sheets Title (Column B)
• Description: placeholder in the template (you can customize here).
• Category: Film & Animation (can be changed).
• Privacy: Public.
• “Made for kids”: configurable.

The video appears automatically on your YouTube channel as a Short (based on aspect ratio and duration).

9. Optional: Post as Instagram Reel

There is a second route (currently disabled in the JSON) with:

• Instagram Business – Create Reel Post
  
• Uses the same video URL from JSON2Video.
• Sets caption = quote title.
• Allows cross-posting as an Instagram Reel.

You just need to:

• Enable that route.
• Connect your Instagram account via Facebook connection.
• Configure caption/cover if desired.

Tools & Services Used

This Make.com automation integrates:

• Make.com – Automation backbone
• Google Sheets – Content storage & status tracking
• ElevenLabs – Text-to-speech voiceover generation
• Dropbox – Audio storage & shareable file links
• JSON2Video – Video composition & rendering API
• YouTube Data API – Automatic video upload to your channel
• Instagram Graph API (optional) – Instagram Reel publishing  

What You Get with This Product

• Fully built Make.com scenario JSON: “🔥 Quotes → YT Shorts v1.0”
• One-click import into your Make account
• Pre-wired Google Sheets → ElevenLabs → Dropbox → JSON2Video → YouTube pipeline
• Column mapping and status handling for scalable content
• Support for your own:
  
• quote database
• voice in ElevenLabs
• template video in JSON2Video
• YouTube channel & IG account

Requirements

To run this workflow you will need:

• A Make.com account
• Google Sheets (Gmail/Google account)
• ElevenLabs API key
• Dropbox account & app key
• JSON2Video API key
• YouTube channel with API access
• (Optional) Facebook/Instagram Business connection for Reels